Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, & transsexuals (LGBT) serving openly in the military

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 1993 to 2012: The military's "Don't ask;
don't tell" (DADT) policy. All viewpoints explained

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In this web site, "LGB" refers to the lesbian, gay and bisexual community.

Overview about LGBs:

Prior to 1993, the military actively hunted down lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) service members and expelled them from the military.

In 1993, President Clinton signed a bill into law creating the Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy. LGB were allowed remain in the closet, keep their sexual orientation secret, and continue to serve in the military.

By 2011, the American public overwhelmingly supported an end to DADT. In December of that year, Congress passed a bill that President subsequently Obama signed into law. It repealed the DADT legislation, effective 60 days after the President, Defense Secretary, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff could certify that it could be ended without adversely affecting the operation of the Armed Forces. Certification occurred on 2011-JUL-22 and the DADT policy ended, at least temporarily, on 2012-SEP-20.

LGB Service members remained in a precarious position as we approached the 2012-NOV presidential elections. Some of the Republican candidates for the presidency had favored immediate reinstatement of the DADT policy by Congress. That would leave military members of the LGB community who had come out of the "closet" subject to expulsion from the military in 2013 if a Republican president and majority Congress was elected.

During 2012-AUG, Mitt Romney was selected by the Republican National Convention as the candidate for President. Perhaps because of the overwhelming public support for an end to DADT, and/or because of his personal liberal-leaning political philosophy, Romney indicated during his campaign that if he were elected president, he would not actively work to reinstate DADT. However if Republican members of Congress promoted a return of the DADT policy and passed a bill revoking the repeal, and if Romney were elected President, he might sign it into law and still claim that he did not actively work to promote the bill.

President Obama was reelected to a second term; he certainly will not reinstate DADT; he considers its repeal in 2011 one of the major accomplishments of his presidency.

The work remaining to be done:

During 2013-JAN, President Obama (D) has nominated Senator Chuck Hagel (R). Shortly afterwards, Hagel sent a letter to Senator Barbara Boxer stating:

I fully support the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and value the service of all those who fight for our country. I know firsthand the profound sacrifice our service members and their families make, and if confirmed as Secretary of Defense, I will do everything possible to the extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits to the families of all our service members."

Emily Hecht-McGowan, director of public policy for Family Equality Council, said"

"This commitment is a big step forward for military families with lesbian and gay parents. The Department of Defense has a lot of work to do to ensure that all military families have access to the benefits they’ve earned through service to their country. We look forward to working with the Administration to make sure that all military families, including those with lesbian and gay service members, are protected and respected."

However, the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) limits the ability of the federal government to grant equality to same-sex married couples. Its constitutionality has been questioned and is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on DOMA in late 2013-MAR, and deliver a ruling in 2013-JUN.

Overview about the "T" in LGBT: transgender individuals and transsexuals:

Rarely mentioned in the media is the fact that the repeal of DADT only protects lesbians, gays and bisexuals. Transgender individuals and transsexuals are still subject to expulsion from the military because the Pentagon regards them to be mentally ill, and unfit for service. More details.

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Topics covered in this section:

• Summary:
  • Brief summary of the military's "Don't ask; don't tell" (DADT) policy. Books on DADT.
    
    
• Introduction:
  
  
  • The military's DADT policy; concerns about gays and lesbians serving
    
    
  • Quotations; political cartoon; gays in other countries' militaries; hate crimes.
    
    
  • History of US military policies towards sexual minorities: 1776 to 2009.
    
    
• Policies of religious groups towards DADT:
  
  
  • Part 1: Summary. Comparing beliefs of the public with conservative Christian denominations. Reaction by a group of retired chaplains
    
    
  • Part 2 Policies of the Orthodox Church, Southern Baptist Convention & Roman Catholic Church
    
    
  • Part 3: Policies of the Family Research Council, American Family Association, & mainline/liberal/progressive Christian denominations
    
    
• Problems facing conservative Chaplains:
  
  
• Part 1
  
  
• Part 2
  
  
• Attempts to repeal the DADT policy by Congressional action:
  
  
  • 2005 to 2007
    
    
  • 2008 & 2009
    
    
  • 2010-JAN & FEB
    
    
  • 2010-FEB to MAY-24
    
    
  • 2010-MAY-25: Major activity in the House and a Senate subcommittee
    
    
  • Later in 2010-MAY: Reactions to the House & Senate activity; American Family Association support for DADT
    
    
  • 2010-MAY-27 to JUN-08
    
    
  • 2010-SEP-16 to NOV-30: Senate repeal fails
    
    
  • 2010-DEC-01 to DEC-15 : Military survey released; opposition to repeal; House passes repeal;
    
    
  • 2010-DEC-17 & 18: Christian opposition; Bill passed in Senate:
    
    
  • 2010-SEP & DEC: Four You Tube videos from supporters and opponents of the DATD repeal
    
    
  • 2010-DEC-18 & 19: Reactions to the passage of the repeal bill
    
    
  • 2010-DEC-19: More reactions to the repeal bill
    
    
  • 2010-DEC-22: President Obama signs bill into law
    
    
  • Reactions to the DADT repeal bill becoming law. 2010-DEC-22 to DEC-27
    
    
  • More reactions to the DADT repeal law & two personal stories during late 2010-DEC
    
    
  • 2010-DEC-27: Conflicting beliefs about homosexuals in the military, based on religion & human rights criteria
    
    
  • Predictions of natural disasters. DOMA repeal date set for 2011-SEP-20
    
    
  • After 2011-SEP-20: Various reactions following the repeal of DADT:  Part 1   Part 2  <<< most recent entries
     
  • 2011-SEP: Military chaplains allowed to conduct SSM ceremonies. Policy under threat
    
    
  • 2011-JUL/NOV: Reactions to the President's statement. 2011-NOV: DADT repeal uneventful; Law cleanup
    
    
  • 2008 - 2012: Dire predictions of the negative effects on the military of repealing DADT.
    
    
  • 2012-SEP: What really happened: Reviewing the impact of DADT, one year after its repeal:  Part 1  Part 2  Part 3 
    
    
• Earlier attempts to have the DADT policy declared unconstitutional through the federal court system:
  
  
  • 2010-SEP-09 to now: Activity involving federal district court, appeals court & supreme court <<< a big section
    
    
• Polls showing level of the public's support/opposition for an end to DADT:
  
  
  • CNN, Washington Post, & Palm Center opinion polls extending over many years.
    
    
  • Individual polls:
    • from year 2000 to 2008
    • from year 2009 to 2011
      
      
• The Department of Defense study of service members:
  
  
  • Study design and polling: 2010-JUL to OCT
    
    
  • Results of the study issued on 2010-DEC-01

Reference used:

1. "Hagel vows to push for equal benefits for gay and lesbian military families," Dallas Voice, 2013-JAN-15, at: http://www.dallasvoice.com/

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Copyright © 2000 to 2012 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2000-MAY-25
Latest update: 2012-SEP-17
Author: B.A. Robinson

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